MSNBC reporter Andrea Mitchell attempted to say she was wrong about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — without admitting she was wrong.
At the close of her broadcast on Wednesday, Mitchell addressed the loaded question she asked Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday. The question allowed Harris to rant about DeSantis.
After days of silence, Mitchell on Wednesday voiced what she thought was an apology for misleading viewers. DeSantis’ spokesman was not placated.
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He advised NBC its network gets no air time with the Florida Republican until Mitchell offers a sincere apology.
The dust-up began when Mitchell posed the following question to Harris: “What does Gov. Ron DeSantis not know about black history and the black experience when he says that slavery and the aftermath of slavery should not be taught to Florida schoolchildren?” Mitchell asked.
That was a lie. DeSantis has never said that. In fact, he has said just the opposite. And Florida state law mandates that public schools will teach all aspects of slavery as well as black history.
On Wednesday, Mitchell claimed she was “imprecise” in summarizing DeSantis’ position on teaching slavery in schools.
“DeSantis is not opposed to teaching the fact of slavery in schools,” Mitchell’s supposed apology began.
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“But he has opposed the teaching of an African American studies curriculum as well as the use of some authors and source materials that historians and teachers say makes it all but impossible for students to understand the broader historic and political context behind slavery and its aftermath in the years since,” said Mitchell.
In her alleged mea culpa, Mitchell still misled viewers.
For one thing, the course in question was an Advanced Placement course that would be offered only to high achievers in high schools.
The College Board, the national group that administers the program and created the course DeSantis objected to, says AP classes are college-level classes geared toward “all motivated and academically prepared students.”
Clearly, this is not the bulk of public school students in Florida, all of whom will be taught slavery in accordance with state law and presumably without the “authors and source materials” that likely would not have been used with them anyway.
The other massive flaw in Mitchell’s alleged apology was that she did not explain why DeSantis opposed the AP course to begin with.
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The original AP curriculum included leftist, woke offerings such as lessons on Black Queer Theory, Black Lives Matter, and the need for reparations for slavery.
With this fake apology, Mitchell, sadly, opted to not stand up for integrity, either that of journalism or her own.
But also in response, DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin made it clear NBC should keep its distance.
“I think we need to take a step back. There will be no consideration of anything related to NBC Universal or its affiliates until and at least Andrea Mitchell corrects the blatant lie she made about the governor … and NBC and its affiliates display a consistent track record of truthful reporting,” Griffin said in a statement.
“Please feel free to pass this up and around the network.”
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